There should be no hesitation attacking Naxalite dalam

Counter Maoist offensive

M.N.Bunch

Naxalites, Maoists, Left Wing Extremists call them what will, (for convenience I shall call them Naxalites) have virtually taken over about 160 districts of India. That covers more than a quarter of the whole country. All of these are located in the heart of India — Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, eastern Bihar, parts of West Bengal, south eastern Maharashtra, south western Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and north western Andhra Pradesh. In Andhra Pradesh, in the Telangana region, the administration and the police, by forceful action, have been able to regain control and the Naxalites are on the run from there. In Chhattisgarh, Odisha and south eastern Maharashtra, however, the Naxalites reign supreme.

There is a group of so-called liberal activists, of whom Arundhati Roy and B D Sharma also claim to be supporters, who look upon the Naxalites not as terrorists but as people who are leading a revolution against a heartless, capitalist, anti-people and anti-tribal state and, therefore, they refer to the movement as a war of liberation. How is this war fought? Certainly not by the Geneva Convention. It is fought through terror in which the first victim is the innocent tribal villager who at the point of a gun is made to accept the Naxalites as leaders. It is fought by targeting police officers and government servants doing their duty, it is fought by blowing up school buildings, it is fought by putting an end to all development works, it is fought by trying to destroy every democratic institution, especially the Panchayat Raj institutions. It is fought by blackmail and by extortion in that those persons going about their normal business in these districts, or contractors who have taken the risk of constructing development works, such as roads, are forced to pay large sums of money to the Naxalites in order to do business or to undertake the construction work.

In Dantewada district a road contractor from Nagpur was made to pay `20 lakh, which he did. Another dalam which had not got money demanded a similar amount and when he refused payment for a second time he was shot dead. His very courageous widow came from Nagpur and fought the Naxalites on this and one of the dalams apologised. Bus operators can travel only on those routes and at those times which the Naxalites permit. Even the poorest villager has to pay his tithe to the Naxalites in order to survive. People who deny education to the citizens, who hamper medical care by not allowing primary health centres to function, who disallow development works so that there can be no upliftment can hardly call themselves warriors for the rights of the people. I see very little difference between these bands of Naxalites and the criminals who form the gangs in Mumbai owing allegiance to Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan. These are harsh words but unfortunately they are true because it is time we recognise the Naxalites for what they really are — common criminals.

Who else would go to a village in Ghadchiroli district of Maharashtra and decapitate two villagers and abduct 10 others? The latest tactics of the Naxalites is abduction of senior government servants and politicians, to be used as hostages for having their demands met. The demands always relate to release of hardcore Naxalites accused of specific crimes, including murder with a view to ensuring that they evade justice. The latest in this series is the abduction of Alex Paul Menon, the collector and district magistrate of Sukma in Chhattisgarh. Sukma was the southern most tehsil of the then Bastar district, which was recently constituted into a separate district. Alex is a proactive officer, who extensively toured the district and tried to make the civil administration effective. What do the Naxalites do? In a village where he was addressing a Panchayat sammelan they murdered his two security officers and then abducted him. It is an utter disgrace that large bands of armed men can roam about without being detected, abduct senior officers and then hold them hostages.

It is about time that this nation woke up to the fact that the situation in the Naxalite-hit districts is worse than in Nagaland and Mizoram at the height of insurgency. There neither the army nor the police withdrew, they brought rebels to encounter and proved to them that insurgency cannot defeat the Indian State. In the Naxalite-hit districts the state has virtually withdrawn. It is about time that we re-established the writ of the state in these districts. Chidambaram talks about development as the answer to Naxalism. Development is possible only in an environment of peace and security and, therefore, till order is restored there can be no development. The home ministry does not understand the seriousness of the situation.

The Naxalite hit areas need to be swept clean of terrorists. The government must say very categorically that there will be no negotiation on hostages, that murder will be treated as an offence under Section 302 of the IPC and that order will be restored very quickly.

A few suggestions are:

— If need be we should be prepared to lose hostages, but the retaliatory strike must be swift, deadly and highly effective.

— All police stations must be fortified, made impregnable to attack and used as launch pads for patrols, sorties and raids against specified targets.

— The police must be strengthened, armed, equipped and trained so that it can take on any attacking Naxalite dalam.

— There should be no hesitation in using air support, especially armed helicopter.

— A corps level exercise should be mounted with a view to sweeping the target area and forcing terrorists to flee. They should then be driven on to the security forces, mainly police, waiting in ambush and liquidated.

Normally the Naxalites would not attack the army but if they are foolish enough to do so they will suffer the consequences. The main point is that the day an entire dalam is wiped out and heavy casualty inflicted police morale will rise and the recruitment base of the Naxalites will shrink. Once order is restored let us put our best officials into the area and bring genuine, assimilable development to these backward districts.

M N Buch, a former civil servant, is chairman, National Centre for Human Settlements and Environment, Bhopal.

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/op-ed/counter-maoist-offensive/386464.html

Power of Italian connections

S.Gurumurthy

Two unrelated incidents — arrest of two marines who killed two fishermen from Kerala in Indian waters and the kidnapping of two foreign tourists by Naxals in Odisha — were related only by the fact that the killer marines and the kidnapped tourists were Italians. The tourists being victims deserved sympathy. The marines being criminals did not. For two months, informed Indians were curiously watching how the UPA government would handle the two Italian-related issues. The reason was obvious. The victims and criminals were Italians and Sonia Gandhi, who heads the UPA and the National Advisory Council, is an Italian expatriate. There was lurking suspicion that the tourists would be freed whatever the cost and the killers would also go scot free. To add to the suspicion, the Italian government openly interfered with the judicial process in the murder case. But, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, acted promptly, detained the ship Enrica Lexie, arrested the accused and lodged them in jail.

In a statement issued the day after the murder, the Italian embassy labelled the fishermen as pirates who attacked the Italian ship in international waters and said that after repeated warnings and after ascertaining from binoculars that the pirates were armed, the Italian marines fired some warning shots and the pirates withdrew. The statement was a total lie. Nine fishermen were sleeping in the boat and two, who were awake, were shot. The Italians began claiming that the incident — read murder — took place beyond the territorial waters of India and therefore, the Indian police had no business to act. The Roman Catholic church too intervened. Cardinal George Alancherry, newly ordained by Rome as cardinal, told the Catholic news agency Fides in Rome, “I immediately contacted the Catholic ministers to ask the Kerala government not to take precipitate action.”

The arrogant Italian denial of the right of India to act against the crime was met with equally stern response from the external affairs ministry. The very day Italy claimed innocence, defence minister A K Antony, who hails from Kerala, declared that the guilty would be punished under Indian law. Rome first sent a minister, then its foreign minister, to pressure on New Delhi. India insisted that the two Italian murderers would be tried in India, not in Italy, as Rome wanted. How could Italy prosecute after having denied the offence itself and declared the offenders as innocent and the victims as pirates? Italy was obviously drawing a blank on the diplomatic front. New Delhi firmly took the position that the murderous firing took place from the ship and the offence occurred within the territorial waters of India which extends to 22 nautical miles off Kerala coast. If the killing had taken place when the ship was inside Indian waters, then the offence is triable in India. This would call for full investigation. Only an FIR has been registered. The Kerala High Court ordered the release of the ship on bank guarantee and on the undertaking that the ship and the crew would be brought back to India when needed. The order was challenged in the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile the Italian tourists kidnap by Naxalites added another dimension to the murky Indo-Italian relations. The tourists had disregarded the warning of the Odisha police against going to Naxal areas. For their recklessness, the Odisha government had to pay a heavy price at India’s cost to free them by barter, releasing not one or two, but 27 hardened criminals, including 15 Naxals, in exchange for just one of the two abducted Italians, the other having been freed earlier. The Indian home minister was on hand with the issue. But for the fact that the reckless tourists were Italians — imagine they were Ghanians, Ugandans or Kenyans – would such a high cost have been paid, is the obvious question in everyone’s mind. Yet no one, including the media always prone to pontificate, has the guts to ask.

Italians seem used to kidnapping. At least five Italians had been kidnapped by Taliban almost one every year from 2004 to 2007. Four of them were journalists. Two were killed, and three set free — one of them for a ransom, another in exchange for five Taliban terrorists released by Afghan government. Again, a week after the high cost Odisha deal to free the Italians came the news that an Italian woman journalist, who had been abducted by al-Qaeda 14 months back, had been set free by them only four days back! No one knew where the woman had been kept by the Taliban for such a long time and heavens did not fall. Could India not have waited for a couple of months, if not for 14 months like in the al-Qaeda case? What was the emergency to get them freed at five times the cost paid by the Afghan government for freeing an Italian from Taliban custody? Curious. Isn’t it?

Now back to the killer Italians. The issue before the Supreme Court was whether the ship should be allowed to sail. Harin Raval, an additional solicitor general of India, stunned the nation and the Supreme Court by telling the court that when the marines killed the fishermen the Italian ship was not in Indian waters. Precisely Italy’s case but from ASG Raval’s mouth! Raval also implied that the defence minister, ministry of foreign affairs, shipping minister, and Kerala chief minister were all liars. But, in the afternoon, Raval told the court that what he had told the judges in the morning was not government’s view, but his opinion. How could the fact whether the ship was in or out of the national waters be a matter of opinion? The external affairs ministry and Kerala chief minister again asserted that the ASG was wrong. The latter asked for his removal from the case. The shipping ministry said that ASG acted against brief. But the damage is done. By that one sentence, the ASG has virtually destroyed the Kerala prosecution against the Italian marines. He will be the killers’ star witness to prove that the ship was not in Indian waters. Can he deny saying so to the Supreme Court? The murder case against the Italian marines is virtually over.

The ASG has deliberately torpedoed the case. The intriguing question is who made him do it? The ASG’s betrayal has confirmed the worst suspicions of informed Indians that the killers would go scot free. Who could have made the ASG disregard the defence and shipping ministers, external affairs ministry and the Kerala chief minister? The answer is obvious.

comment@gurumurthy.net

http://expressbuzz.com/biography/Power-of-Italian-connections/385428.html

Sabara Sammelana at Sabarapalli Gajapati, Odisha

Staunch agitation against conversion 

From 1,050 village 1,15,000 people  represent Sabara Sammilani at Gajapti district to develop their self commitment . It is n't only a socio- religious Programme it is indication  of  Sbara agitation against illegal christian activity in Odisha.  Dharama Jagarana Bibhaga and Vanavasi Klyana Ashram help them to make this nice occasion fruitful.Divots of Lord Jagannath Sabara people Make clear decision against conversion . Sabra Sammilani has been concluded by Pujya Jagad Guru Sankaracharya at Sabarapalli, Gajapti district for three day. It is the biggest convention of Sabara Samaja by their own interest. 60,000 women participation is the real indication of their devotion towards religion.  10,000 christian people participation proves unity of Sabara Samaja after all the social disturbance. According to  Culture Sabara Samaja  is one. They all are Hindu. They have no difference . 

Cow based Sustainable agricultural development by Janabharati, Kolhapur, Maharashtra

‘जनभारती’ द्वारा गोमाता केंद्रित खेती का आर्थिक सफल प्रयोग

स्रोत: News Bharati      तारीख: 4/18/2012 6:20:16 PM

‘प्रकृति का वरदहस्त प्राप्त महाराष्ट्र के कोल्हापुर जिले में गन्ना और धान प्रमुख फसलें है. देश में हुई हरित क्रांति के लाभ बहुत प्रमाण में इस जिले के गॉंव-गॉंव तक पहुँचे है. नया तंत्रज्ञान, रासायनिक खाद और कीटनाशक तथा उन्नत बिजों का प्रयोग किसानों ने आरंभ किया. उत्पादन बढ़ने से किसान आनंदित हुए; लेकिन कुछ ही समय में इसका विपरित परिणाम देखने को मिला. भरपूर उत्पादन की आशा में आधुनिक पद्धति के नाम पर खेती में रासायनिक खाद का अंधाधुंद  प्रयोग होने लगा. रसायनों कीअति मात्रा के कारण खेती की उर्वरा शक्ति घटी. जैसे जैसे समय बीतता गया, उत्पादन और भी घटता गया; तब किसान जाग उठा और इस समस्या का हल ढूढने लगे.
किसान समस्याग्रस्त होने से गॉंव की व्यवस्था अस्तव्यस्त हो गई. उस समय, कोल्हापुर के ‘जनभारती न्यास’ ने उन्हें एक आसान उपाय- हर घर में कम से कम एक देसी गाय पालना- बताया.
१९९७-९८ को कोल्हापुर में प्रबोधन परिषद हुई थी. उसमें प्रमुख अतिथि के रूप में बोलते हुए विख्यात समाजसेवक नानाजी देशमुख ने कहा था कि जब तक खेती, किसान और गॉंव स्वावलंबी और समृद्ध नहीं बनेंगे, तब तक इस देश का भवितव्य उज्ज्वल नहीं हो सकता. इस आधार पर ही दिसंबर १९९९ में ‘जनभारती न्यास’ की स्थापना की गई थी.
नानाजी ने ऐसी भी सलाह दी कि, गाय के पंचगव्य से खेती जुड़ी है. गाय को केंद्रबिंदु मानकर पर्यावरण हितैषी खेती करें.
फिर ‘जनभारती न्यास’ की सलाह से परंपरागत खेती के कालबाह्य चीजों को त्याग कर खेती आरंभ हुई. रासायनिक खाद के बदले सेंद्रीय खाद का प्रयोग शुरू हुआ. गोबर खाद से भूमि की उर्वरा शक्ति कायम रहती है. इसलिए रासायनिक खाद के कारण उर्वरा शक्ति खो चुकी खेती में गाय के गोबर का खाद डाला गया. अन्य भी उपाय किए गए.
फसल लेने के लिए खेत में का कूडाकचरा जलाया जाता था. फसलों में का खतवार बाहर फेंका जाता था. लेकिन अब किसानों ने अपना मन बदला. खेत में का जलाया जानेवाला, या फेंक दिया जाने वाला, फसलों के अवशेषों और पत्तियों को कचरा अब खेत में ही दबा दिया जाने लगा. इसके बहुत अच्छे परिणाम दिखने लगे. गाय के गोबर खाद से खेती की उर्वरकता बी बढ़ी. खेत में दबाया गया कचरा खेत की मिट्टी में मिलने के कारण मिट्टी का पोषण हुआ; उसकी जलधारण-क्षमता बढ़ी. गाय के गोबर और गोमूत्र से बने कीटनाशकों के प्रयोग से, फसलों पर रासायनिक कीटनाशकों के दुष्परिणाम टले.
आगे चलकर किसानों ने गन्ने की बुआई में भी नई तकनीक अपनाई. गन्ने की पारियों पर उगी आँख (अंकुर) को क्यारी में लगाया जाता है. क्यारी में उनके पौधे तैयार होने पर उन्हें जड़ों सहित उखाडकर फिर खेत में बोया जाता है. पहले, इसके लिए आँख उगी पूरी पारी ही निकाल ली जाती थी. अब क्यारी में गन्ने की आँख लगाने के लिए, किसान पारी का आँख उगा हिस्सा ही काटकर निकालते है और गन्ने की हर पारी पर आँख फूटने के लिए, गन्ना बड़ा होने पर उसके छोर के पत्ते तोड देते है. इससे गन्ने की बचत होती है. गन्ने की फसल का पैसा हाथ आने के लिए करीब १४ माह का समय लगता है. इस दौरान गन्ने की फसल में अन्य दो-तीन फसलें (इंटरक्रॉप) ली जाती है. इससे किसान के पूँजी और नियमित खर्च की व्यवस्था हो जाती है.
इस नये प्रयोग से किसानों का उत्पादन बढा और उत्पाद लागत काफी मात्रा में कम हुयी. इस कारण किसान प्रोत्साहित हुए. वे और अधिक और नये प्रयोग करने के लिए सामने आये. गन्ना और धान के खेती में खाली जगह पर अब वे फलों और सब्जियों का उत्पादन ले रहे है. इस कारण किसानों के हाथ में सालभर पैसा रहने लगा. रोजमर्रा की जरूरतों के लिए घरमें ही सब्जी इत्यादी फसल लेना उन्होने आरंभ किया. इससे बचत होने लगी. सही मायने में यहॉं का किसान चिंतामुक्त हो गया.
इस प्रयोगशीलता से ही कागल तहसील के वनमोर गॉंव के प्रगतिशील किसान- तानाजी निकम ने खुद के निरीक्षण और प्रयोग से खेती के व्यवस्थापन की एक नयी पद्धती खोज निकाली. उनके इस मेहनत को इतना यश मिला की, उनके द्वारा धान की फसल का दुनिया का सबसे ऊँचा पौधा उगाया गया और इसके ‘गिनिज बुक ऑफ वर्ल्ड रेकॉर्ड’ में दर्ज किया गया. वे बताते है कि, सेंद्रिय खाद का उपयोग कर ही मैंने यह रिकार्ड हासिल किया है.
इस प्रकार गाय को केंद्रबिंदु मानकर की गई सेंद्रिय खेती ने यहॉं के किसानों को केवल रासायनिक खेती के दुष्परिणामों से छुटकारा ही नहीं दिलाया, उन्हें समृद्ध जीवन की राह भी दिखाई है. एक किसान ने तो गोमूत्र अर्क बनाने का भी उद्योग शुरू किया है. पंचगव्य से साबुन बनाने का प्रयोग भी सफल रहा है.
कई किसानों ने अब गोपालन के साथ कुक्कुट-पालन, भेड-पालन और मधुमख्खी-पालन सरीखे पूरक उद्योग भी शुरू किए है. महिलाओं ने बचत समूह स्थापन कर दुग्ध-व्यवसाय के साथ अन्य लघु उद्योग आरंभ किए है. अब यहॉं की महिलाएँ भी आर्थिक दृष्टीसे स्वावलंबी बन गयी है. जनभारती न्यास ने महिलाओं के स्वास्थ्य का भी ध्यान रखा है. उनके लिए नियमित रूप से स्वास्थ्य शिबिर आयोजित होते है. यहॉं की वीरान जगह पर करवंद (एक खट्टा फल) का जंगल दिखाई देता है. यहॉं की महिलाएँ अब इस करवंद का शरबत बनाकर बेचती है. इस स्वास्थ्यवर्धक शरबत के बिक्री से काफी लाभ मिल रहा है.
हर घर में एक देसी गाय पालने के आग्रह से, कुछ वर्ष पूर्व कृषि-आधारित अर्थव्यवस्था की सफलता पर का विश्‍वास खो रहे देहातों में फिर इस अर्थव्यवस्था पर का विश्‍वास जाग उठा है. गोमाता ने खेती को नवसंजीवनी देते हुए रोजगारनिर्मिती भी कर दिखायी है. लोगों को निरामय बनाया है. गोमाता को कामधेनु के नाम से क्यों जाना जाता है, यह इस क्षेत्र के इस परिवर्तन से ध्यान में आता है.    

Pastor arrested for ‘conversion bid’

TNN | Apr 20, 2012, 03.43AM IST

BANGALORE: Mahadevapura police on Thursday arrested a 31-year-old trainee pastor for allegedly trying to convert 23 children, including 14 girls, during a summer camp here.

Victor Babu alias Victor, a native of Dharmavaram in Andhra Pradesh, was held following a complaint filed by a few parents. Police recovered prayer books, pamphlets and other material from him and registered a case under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code.

Police said Victor was imparting religious lessons to the 23 children in the Hebron prayer hall in Kundalahalli near Whitefield. According to complainants, Victor told them he would run a month-long free summer camp for their children. The camp opened three days ago. A mini-bus (KA 03 D 8949) would pick up children from Mahadevapura, Kundalahalli and surrounding areas every day.

Victor said: "I taught them prayers and songs but that doesn't mean I was converting them." Parents claimed Victor offered education and other basic facilities to children if they (parents) accepted his conditions. But Victor didn't elaborate what his conditions were, they added.

Section 295A 

Pertains to deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs and suggests imprisonment for three years, or fine, or both.

Centre refuses to take stand on Ram Setu, asks SC to decide

New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday refused to take any stand on the issue of declaring mythological Ram Setu a national monument and asked the Supreme Court instead to decide it.

Appearing before a bench headed by justices H L Dattu and Anil R Dave, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Haren Raval submitted that the government after consultations on the issue has decided that it would not take any stand on it.

He said the government would stand by its earlier affidavit, filed in 2008, in which it had said that the government respects all religions but it was of view that it should not be called upon to respond to the issues of faith, except in recognising their existence.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy seeking the court's direction to declare Ram Setu a national monument. The apex court earlier on March 29 had granted two weeks to the Centre to take a stand on the issue.

"If you say you don't want to file counter affidavit, we can go ahead with the arguments in the case," the bench had said.

The case relating to Ram Setu came under judicial scrutiny due to a bunch of petitions filed in the apex court against the ambitious Sethusamudram project, whose execution allegedly was to damage the mythological bridge.

Sethusamudram project is aimed at constructing a shorter navigational route around India's southern tip by breaching the mythological Ram Setu, said to have been built by Lord Rama's army of monkeys and bears to the demon king Ravana's kingdom Lanka.

As per the Sethusamudram project, the shipping channel is proposed to be 30 metres wide, 12 metres deep and 167 kms long.

The Centre in its earlier affidavit, cleared by the Cabinet Committee of Political Affairs (CCPA) chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had said the government respects all religions but was of view that it "should not be called upon to respond to the issues of faith, except in recognising their existence."

The amended affidavit was filed after the Centre had withdrawn its two affidavits in which it had questioned the existence of Lord Ram and "Ram Setu". 

Following an outcry led by the Sangh Parivar over the controversial affidavit, the apex court on September 14, 2007 had allowed the Centre re-examine entire materials afresh to review the Rs 2,087 crore project. 

http://zeenews.india.com/nation/index.html

नालन्दा विशवविधालय – एक इतिहास जो संभवत: पुनर्जीवित हो …

 धम्मपद : यमकवग्गो- गाथा ५

परे च न विजानन्ति, मयमेत्थ यमामसे।

ये च तत्थ विजानन्ति, ततो सम्मन्ति मेधगा॥

अनाडी लोग नही जानते कि हम इस संसार से जाने वाले हैं । जो इसे जान लेते हैं उनके झगडॆ शांत हो जाते हैं । धम्मपद: यमकवग्गो- गाथा ६

काश इस तथ्य को सभी धर्मालम्बी समझें  और परस्पर प्रेम से  रहें । लेकिन क्या यह संभव है ,  इतिहास इतना अधिक क्रूर और भयावह है कि इसकी परिकल्पना भी नही की जा सकती । अपने देश मे अनेक मन्दिर और बौद्ध शिक्षा केन्द्र इसलामी विचारों की भेंट चढे । वर्तमान मे पाकिस्तान मे स्वात में तालिबान की बौद्ध धर्मस्थलॊ को नष्ट करने की धमकी या कुछ वर्ष पूर्व अफ़गानिस्तान मे बामियान मे बुद्ध प्रतिमा को नष्ट करना भी इसी सोच का नतीजा है ।

नालन्दा विशवविधालय की वर्तमान स्थिति भी इसी कटरवादी सोच का नतीजा थी  । संस्कृत में नालंदा का अर्थ होता है ज्ञान देने वाला (नालम = कमल, जो ज्ञान का प्रतीक है; दा = देना)। बुद्ध अपने जीवनकाल में कई बार नालंदा आए और लंबे समय तक ठहरे। जैन धर्म के तीर्थंकर भगवान महावीर का निर्वाण भी नालंदा में ही पावापुरी नामक स्थान पर हुआ। कहते हैं कि खिलजी जब नालंदा पहुंचा, तब उसने पूछा कि यहां पवित्र कुरान है क्या? उत्तर नहीं में मिलने पर उसने यहां आग लगवा दी, सब कुछ तहस-नहस कर दिया। इरानी विद्वान मिन्हाज के अनुसार कई विद्वान शिक्षकों को ज़िन्दा जला दिया गया और कईयों के सर काट लिये गए। इस घटना को कई विद्वानों द्वारा बौद्ध धर्म के पतन के एक कारण के रूप में देखा जाता है। कई विद्वान यह भी कहते हैं कि अनेक महत्वपूर्ण ग्रन्थों के नष्ट हो जाने से भारत आने वाले समय में विज्ञान, खगोलशास्त्र, चिकित्सा और गणित जैसे क्षेत्रों मे पिछड़ गया ।

भारत सरकार के पर्यटन मंत्रालय के अतुल्य भारत अभियान के साथ मिल कर एनडीटीवी द्वारा आयोजित एक राष्ट्रव्यापी सर्वेक्षण के तहत कोणार्क सूर्य मंदिर, मीनाक्षी मंदिर, खजुराहो, लाल किला, दिल्ली, जैसलमेर दुर्ग, नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय और धौलावीर जैसे स्थलों को भारत के सात आश्चर्य के रूप में चुना गया है। वीडियो के लिये साभार : यू ट्यूब

नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय भारत के बिहार राज्य में पटना से ९० कि.मी. दूर नालंदा शहर में स्थित एक प्राचीन विश्वविद्यालय था। देश विदेश से यहाँ विद्यार्थी अध्ययन के लिए आते थे। आज इसके केवल खंडहर देखे जा सकते हैं। नालन्दा विश्वविद्यालय के अवशेषों की खोज अलेक्जेंडर कनिंघम ने की थी। माना जाता है कि इस विश्वविद्यालय की स्थापना ४५०-४७० ई. में गुप्त शासक कुमारगुप्त प्रथम ने की थी।  इस विश्वविद्यालय को इसके बाद आने वाले सभी शासक वंशों का सहयोग मिला। महान सम्राट हर्षवर्द्धन और पाल शासकों का भी संरक्षण मिला। इसे केवल यहां के स्थासनीय शासक वंशों से ही नहीं वरन विदेशी शासकों से भी दान मिला था। इस विश्वविद्यालय का अस्तित्व १२वीं शताब्दी तक बना रहा। इसके ऊपर पहला आघात हुण शासक मिहिरकुल द्वारा किया गया, व ११९९ में में तुर्क आक्रमणकारी बख्तियार खिलजी ने इसको जला कर पूरी तरह समाप्त कर दिया।

इस विश्वविद्यालय के बारे में माना जाता है कि यह विश्व का प्रथम आवासीय विश्वविद्यालय था। इसमें करीब १०,००० छात्र एक साथ विद्या ग्रहण करते थे। यहां २००० शिक्षक छात्रों को पढ़ाते थे। यह विश्वविद्यालय स्थापत्य कला का अदभूत नमूना था। यह पूरा परिसर इस विश्वविद्यालय के बारे में माना जाता है कि यह विश्व का प्रथम आवासीय विश्वविद्यालय था। इसमें करीब १०,००० छात्र एक साथ विद्या ग्रहण करते थे। यहां २००० शिक्षक छात्रों को पढ़ाते थे। यह विश्वविद्यालय स्थापत्य कला का अदभूत नमूना था। यह पूरा परिसर एक विशाल दीवार से घिरा हुआ था तथा इसमें प्रवेश के लिए केवल एक ही मुख्य द्वार था। इस परिसर में आठ विशाल भवन, दस मंदिर, कई प्रार्थना कक्ष तथा अध्ययन कक्ष थे। इसके अलावा यहां सुंदर बगीचे तथा झीलें भी थी। यहां विद्यार्थियों को तीन कठीन परीक्षा स्तरों को उत्तीर्ण करना होता था। यह विश्व का प्रथम ऐसा दृष्टांत है। यहां उनके रहने के लिए ३०० कक्ष बने थे, जिनमें अकेले या एक से अधिक छात्रों के रहने की व्यवस्था थीं। यहां के नौ तल के पुस्तकालय में ३ लाख से अधिक पुस्तकों का अनुपम संग्रह था।[२] इस पुस्तकालय में सभी विषयों से संबंधित पुस्तकें थी। ये पुस्तकें खिलजी के आक्रमण के बाद छः महीनों तक जलती रहीं। इस विश्वविद्यालय में केवल भारत से ही नहीं बल्कि कोरिया, जापान, चीन, तिब्बत, इंडोनेशिया, फारस तथा तुर्की से भी विद्यार्थी शिक्षा ग्रहण करने आते थे। यहां विद्यार्थी विज्ञान, खगोलशास्त्र, चिकित्सा, तर्कशास्त्र, गणित, दर्शनशास्त्र, तथा हिन्दु और बौद्ध धर्मों का अध्ययन करते थे। यहां खगोलशास्त्र अध्ययन के लिए एक विशेष विभाग था। एक प्राचीन श्लोक से ज्ञात होता है, प्रसिद्ध भारतीय गणितज्ञ एवं खगोलज्ञ आर्यभट विश्वविद्यालय के कुलपति भी रहे थे। उनके लिखे जिन तीन ग्रंथों की जानकारी भी उपलब्ध है वे हैं: दशगीतिका, आर्यभट्टीय और तंत्र। ज्ञाता बताते हैं, कि उनका एक अन्य ग्रन्थ आर्यभट्ट सिद्धांत भी था, जिसके आज मात्र ३४ श्लोक ही उपलब्ध हैं। इस ग्रंथ का ७वीं शताब्दी में बहुत उपयोग होता था। यहाँ के तीन बड़े बड़े पुस्तकालय के नाम थे:

    * रत्नसागर पुस्तकालय
    * विद्यासागर पुस्तकालय
    * ग्रंथागार पुस्तकालय

इस विश्वविद्यालय के अवशेष चौदह हेक्टेयर क्षेत्र में मिले हैं। खुदाई में मिली सभी इमारतों का निर्माण लाल पत्थर से किया गया था। यह परिसर दक्षिण से उत्तर की ओर बना हुआ है। मठ या विहार इस परिसर के पूर्व दिशा में व चैत्य (मंदिर) पश्चिम दिशा में बने थे। इस परिसर की सबसे मुख्य इमारत विहार-१ थी। आज में भी यहां दो मंजिला इमारत शेष है। यह इमारत परिसर के मुख्य आंगन के समीप बना हुई है। संभवत: यहां ही शिक्षक अपने छात्रों को संबोधित किया करते थे। इस विहार में एक छोटा सा प्रार्थनालय भी अभी सुरक्षित अवस्था में बचा हुआ है। इस प्रार्थनालय में भगवान बुद्ध की भग्न प्रतिमा बनी है। यहां स्थित मंदिर नं ३ इस परिसर का सबसे बड़ा मंदिर है। इस मंदिर से समूचे क्षेत्र का विहंगम दृश्य देखा जा सकता है। यह मंदिर कई छोटे-बड़े स्तूपों से घिरा हुआ है। इन सभी स्तूपों में भगवान बुद्ध की विभिन्न मुद्राओं में मूर्तियां बनी हुई है।

नालन्दा पुरातात्विक संग्रहालय

विश्वविद्यालय परिसर के विपरीत दिशा में एक छोटा सा पुरातात्विक संग्रहालय बना हुआ है। इस संग्रहालय में खुदाई से प्राप्त अवशेषों को रखा गया है। इसमें भगवान बुद्ध की विभिन्न प्रकार की मूर्तियों का अच्छा संग्रह है। इनके साथ ही बुद्ध की टेराकोटा मूर्तियां और प्रथम शताब्दी के दो मर्तबान भी इस संग्रहालय में रखा हुआ है। इसके अलावा इस संग्रहालय में तांबे की प्लेट, पत्थर पर खुदे अभिलेख, सिक्के, बर्त्तन तथा १२वीं सदी के चावल के जले हुए दाने रखे हुए हैं।

नव नालन्दा महाविहार

यह एक शिक्षण संस्थान है। इसमें पाली साहित्य तथा बौद्ध धर्म की पढ़ाई तथा शोध होती है। यह एक नया स्थापित संस्थान है। इसमें दूसरे देशों के छात्र भी पढ़ाई के लिए यहां आताे हैं।

ह्वेनसांग मेमोरियल हॉल

यह एक नवर्निमित भवन है। यह भवन चीन के महान तीर्थयात्री ह्वेन त्सांग की स्मृति में बनवाया गया है। इसमें ह्वेनसांग से संबंधित वस्तुएं तथा उनकी मूर्ति देखी जा सकती है।

नालन्दा विशविधालय – पुनर्जीवन का प्रयास :

नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय के नाम पर एक नए विश्वविद्यालय की स्थापना  भारत सरकार द्वारा इसके पुनर्जीवन का प्रयास है । प्रसिद्ध नोबल पुरस्कार विजेता साहित्यकार अमर्त्य सेन के अनुसार वर्ष २०१० तक शैक्षणिक सत्र भी आरंभ हो जाएगा। इसके पुनर्जीवन प्रयास में सिंगापुर, चीन, जापान व दक्षिण-कोरिया ने भी सहयोग देने का वादा किया है। इसके ऊपर संसद में विधेयक पारित होने पर इसके भवन का निर्माण भी शुरु हो जाएगा। इसमें ईस्ट एशिया सम्मेलन के १६ देश आर्थिक सहयोग देंगे।

साभार :  विकीपीडिया

Devotees glorified Rama’s Arrows on Ramnavmi. Mosques kept covered, Muslim felons went underground during Hindu-Sikh-Jain March in Hyderabad Town.

Devotees glorified Rama’s Arrows on Ramnavmi. Mosques kept covered, Muslim felons went underground during Hindu-Sikh-Jain March in Hyderabad Town.

Posted by hinduexistence on April 2, 2012

Jai Sri Ram - Hyderabad Style! Hyderabadi Islamists will remember it forever!!

Ram devotees on. Islamists gone. Mosques kept covered, Muslim felons went underground in Hyderabad during huge Sri Ramnavmi Procession, 2012.

Make a Hindu Road Map in Hyderabad Line.

~ Upananda Brahmachari.

Bhagyanagar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh | 1st April, 2012. 

Starting from Rani Avanti Bai Community Hall, Dhulpet, the Rally took a mammoth shape of Bajrangvali gradually.

Only Hindus in such a joint combination can teach a right lesson to the Islamists allover. Mosques kept covered, Muslim felons went underground in Hyderabad when Devotees of Lord Rama flooded the roads in Ramnavami Procession 2012. Yes, the pigs can be roasted as per your dish of like.

Glorious Victory of Hindus in Bhagyanagar. It’s Hindu unity again proves its enormous strength to ‘cow down’ the ‘Islamic bull’ in Bhagyanagar , where anti Hindu Congress Party and its ally MIM took a challenge to stop the Ram Navmi Procession at any cost.

Bhagyanagar has set an example that if such rallies are organized in each state twice a month in different places with a definite Hindu Cause with the whole hearted participation of all the Hindu Wings jointly, the Islamic demon in India have to take an refuge in Pakistan or Afghanistan without any option.

Sri Ram Navami Maha Aarti at Hyderabad,  2012 . 

Bhagyanagar Shri Ram Navmi Utsav Samiti along with other Hindu organizations successfully organized grand procession in the city today on 1st April Sunday at 12 PM. The Shobhayatra created history with presence of more than 1.5 lakh devout Hindus. As per Shriram Channel’s Facebook page, more than 3 lakh Hindus participated in the event.

Ye Desh Veer Jawono ka Song Sri Ram Navami 2012 Hyderabad.

Also it was slap on the face of those, who tried to brand this Shobhayatra as ‘threat to communal harmony’ as there was not even single violent or unlawful incident.

Concluding session at Hanuman Vyayam Shala, Hanuman Tekdi.

The procession has faced lot of obstacles especially from the anti-Hindu Congress Government in Andhra Pradesh and its ally a Muslim political party MIM (Majsilh e Ittehadul Muslimin) . MLA of MIM Akbaruddin Owaisa had demanded complete ban on procession taken out in the city on the occasion of ‘Shriram Navami’ and ‘Hanuman Jayanti’. Subsequently, Hindu leader Sriman Thakur Raja Singh had been arrested with fake case few days ago. The procession was expected to be grand than last year and it appeared also by the Grace of Lord Rama.

From Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka, several Hindu organizations took part here. Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena, Sri Ram Sene, VHP and Hindu Janajagruti Samiti were participated. Special guests were VHP’s Mr. Surendra Jainji and Sadhvi Prachi Devi. Hindu leader Shri T Raja Singh in his short speech said, “ The Congress government will never do anything for Hindus. If you want to save this country and save Hindus, then completely oust the Congress government .”

Mandir Ohi Banayege  Song at Sri Ram Navami 2012 Hyderabad.

While addressing the youth Shri Singh said, “This country’s youth have to fight and raise their voices. Each Hindu brother have to be like our national heroes Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Aazad”. Compared to the last year the police didn’t force the Hindus to divert their regular route.

Ramji ki Sena Chali Song at Sri Ram Navami 2012 Hyderabad.

Like no surprise this time also the police seemed protecting Muslim Masjids (mosques) rather than lacks of Hindus participated in the procession. (One should note that Hindus had never attacked Mosques or Churches in the processions taken out on the occasion of Hindu Festivals. Such acts of Police expose their pro- Muslim stance !)

The procession began from Rani Avanti Bai Community Hall, Dhulpet and it ended in Hanuman Vyayamshala in Sultan Bazar. The speech of the guests held in Hanuman Vyayamshala at the end of the procession.

Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena and Tajindinr Pal Singh Bagga in the Rally.

Inspiration from Sadhvi Prachi. HJS participated in the Rally actively.

Sriman Thakur Raja Singh with the idol of Prabhu Shriram. The Key to open the deadlock.

Highlights :

1. Many kids were dressed as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bhose, Maharana Pratap etc.

2. Groups of kids who were dressed as Shriram, Lakshman, Sita Mata, Hanuman and Vanar played various incidents in Ramayana.

3. The length of the procession was 7 kilometers.

4. HJS (Hindu janjagruti Samiti) members specially published Shri Ramnavmi pamphlets and distributed them in the procession.

5. Even though there was lot of pressure on the organizers, the procession has moved smoothly.

6. In Indur (Nizamabad) district, Bajrang Dal has taken the ideal of Shri Raja Singh and they organized a procession in Bodhan town also. Next year this pattern of Sri Ramnavmi rally will be conducted in every state in India including  Ayodhya.

7. No communal tension could be irrupted by the islamic zelots under keen vigil of Ram devotees.

8. The entire city was kept calm, cool and clean. No incident of public nuisance or  disturbance seen in such a mammoth gathering of Ram devotees.

9. The hospitality of Hyderabadi Hindu-Sikhs is worth mentioning.

10. Two lakhs of Ram devotees vowed to build Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple at Ayodhya and to protect Sri Ram Setu at Rameswaram. Jai Sri Ram.

Who named Mahatma Gandhi 'father of nation'? Govt foxed.

Mohd Arshi Rafique, Hindustan Times

Lucknow, April 03, 2012

First Published: 16:36 IST(3/4/2012)

Last Updated: 00:43 IST(4/4/2012)

A Lucknow girl's simple query to know if Mahatma Gandhi was ever conferred the title of 'The Father of The Nation' has come a cropper.

From the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to the ministry of home affairs (MHA) no one seems to really know the answer to the 10-year-old's question.

They coolly forwarded the RTI plea of class VI student Aishwarya Parashar to the National Archives of India (NAI), the body that claims to be the repository of the non-current records of the Government of India. Surprisingly, the NAI, after a hectic search in their records, was unable to find the desired information and requested Aishwarya to come and search for it in NAI's public records and library material herself.

Jayaprabha Ravindran, assistant director of archives and chief public information officer (CPIO) wrote back in a letter dated March 26: "As per search among public records in the National Archives of India, there are no specific documents on the information sought by you."

As a consolation, it has promised to provide Aishwarya all facilities permissible under the rules, if she chooses to visit the national archives.

Aishwarya, expectedly, is amused. "The first piece of history taught to us in school is about Mahatma Gandhi as Father of the Nation. I never knew, I was asking such a difficult question," she says.

Popular notion, nothing official

According to reports, when a demand to confer the title of 'Father of the Indian Constitution' on Dr Ambedkar was made, deputy prime minister LK Advani, in a letter to Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit in 2004, had written: "It is not, however, feasible to formally confer the title of 'Father of Indian Constitution' on Dr Ambedkar, since Article 18 (1) of the Constitution specifically provides that "no title, not being a military or academic distinction, shall be conferred by the state."

Advani further said: "I may clarify that although Mahatma Gandhi is popularly known as "Father of the Nation," no such title was ever formally conferred on him by the government."

History has it

Father of the Nation is an honorific title given to a man considered the driving force behind the establishment of a nation. As per Wikipedia, it was Subhas Chandra Bose who used the term for Mahatma Gandhi, in a radio address from Singapore in 1944. Later, it was recognised by the Indian government. When Gandhi was assassinated, India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, in a radio address to the nation, had announced that the Father of the Nation "is no more

.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/IndiaSectionPage-North/NorthIndia-LP-India-Lid.aspx

Union Government & a few state Govts Must apologize to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar for Snatching from Scheduled Castes & Giving reservations to Muslims & Christians

Bhagyanagar (Hyderabad), April 14, 2012

On the occasion of birth anniversary Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar – the Creator of Bharat’s Constitution – VHP International Working President Dr Pravin Togadia garlanded Dr Ambedkar’s statue in Bhagyanagar (Hyderabad) and demanded immediate apology from the Government for insulting Dr Ambedkar. Dr Togadia said, “Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar kept a positive provision for reservations for Scheduled castes in the constitution to help them come off a long social suppression, poverty & halted progress. With his bright vision, he also opposed religion-based reservations in various meetings & debates while the constitution was being made. He knew well that any move or provision for religion based reservations will take Bharat to the extreme point of no return to real development & social unity. His opposing to creation of Pakistan was also based on the same thought process, which was led by the greatest dream for united Bharat’s progress.”

“However, bending before Muslims & Christians for votes, Union Govt & a few state govts are snatching reservations & thereby Roti, Education, Jobs, Loans, Land etc from the Scheduled Castes (& also OBCs & Tribes) to be showered on Muslims & Christians. This cruel action is not only anti constitutional & unjust towards the real needy but also absolutely insulting to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar & his vision for Bharat. VHP demands that Union Govt & the state Govts that have in any form given reservations to Muslims & Christians either by snatching from the Scheduled Castes (OBCs & Tribes as well) or otherwise, apologize to Dr Ambedkar, all the Scheduled Castes, OBCs & Tribes & also to all others in Bharat & also immediately withdraw all reservations given or promised to Muslims & Christians.”

Odia Nababarsha

Go- Sammelana Meala at kandhamala By Vanavasi Klayan Ashram

GO- SAMBARDHANA MELA

Not a seva Work But a continuous process of achievement .

Go-Sambardhana Mela was organised by Vanabasi Kalyan Ashram (V.K.A.) at Dadingia in Raikia Block of Kandhamal district. 500 participants including men and women Go-palakas () from 3 blocks attended the programme. Tribal saint Sudaya Abba, district vetenary officer Dr Susant Nayak, block vetenary doctor Debasish Mahanty, State organising secretary of B.K.A. Rajendra Kumar Madala, pranta sradha jagarana pramukh Biswanath Pradhan joined as guests. They highlight on issues like go-palana, security of cows etc. Peoples who excel in the field of cattle farming are awarded in this meeting.